


Little lotus

by alumort



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Adoption, Fluff, Gen, Hyuuga Neji Lives, M/M, Trans Male Character, and has muscle pain some days that is so bad he can't move, but he can't be a ninja, not in the first chapter though, oh and he doesn't feel hunger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27705842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alumort/pseuds/alumort
Summary: "It's today! Neji!" The brunet woke up to an excited voice that morning, a smile on the lips of its owner. Lee kissed his husband as a way to wake him up, his obsidian-colored eyes full of joy. "He's coming home today!"
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji & Metal Lee, Hyuuga Neji/Rock Lee, Metal Lee & Rock Lee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Little lotus

**Author's Note:**

> hello nejilee nation it's alumort with a new fanfic, get comfy on ur seats and enjoy !  
> this is for the rock lee week, day 5. I used the prompt "family"  
> i will continue it i just have too many wips rn, but once i finish one or two i'll keep this one and the time travel au UwU  
> there's mention of food here and they eat something  
> thank you raspberryfanfics, egregiousderp, and my friend fae for reading and betaing in different ways. love u

"It's today! Neji!" The brunet woke up to an excited voice that morning, a smile on the lips of its owner. Lee kissed his husband as a way to wake him up, his obsidian-colored eyes full of joy. " _ He's _ coming home today!"

" _ He _ comes at eleven" Neji mumbled, yawning. Noticing his husband was already getting ready, he stretched to get dressed too, wanting to accompany him in the wait. Checking the clock at his night table, he sighed softly as he hugged the other man. "It's only eight. We have some hours before they bring him..."

"Three hours to prepare everything!", his husband exclaimed, a big smile decorating his face. "Ohh, he's probably going to be hungry—what should I prepare for him?" 

"Well, everyone loves mashed potatoes, maybe that?" Neji suggested, putting his light gray robes on. He hugged him from behind again, resting his chin on Lee’s shoulder. "I don't think there's much to do that's not waiting. We can clean his room again, if you wish."

Lee nodded excitedly, placing his hands over the brunet's. He giggled as Neji kissed his neck playfully before standing up, walking to their kitchen to prepare tea as Lee started to take cleaning products from the bathroom. As the water boiled, the black haired man returned, bouncing with happiness while taking cookies for their breakfast.

Both men couldn't stop smiling, even if one was softer at the simple action.

By the time they finished getting ready, it was nine. The black haired man was still restless, eager to have their child home, starting to clean the windows just to pass time faster. Neji swept the floor of the house, even if they already had the day before, accompanying his husband while humming something he didn't know the name of.

Neither thought that the lost boy they saw at the park would end up being adopted by themselves. They were doing their afternoon run, when Lee saw the kid and- well. He was attached to him instantly. And now, he was going to be in their home soon. Neji was nervous as  _ hell _ , but he had learnt how to hide that kind of feelings at a young age.

He didn't want the boy to learn the same. He would make sure Metal didn't have the need to. He was his father—he was going to protect him as he could.

"Everything is clean now!" Lee said, bringing the brunet back from his thoughts. "He'll be here in a hour!! Ahh!!"

"Yes," Neji mumbled, nodding with his head. Subconsciously, he fumbled the edge of his robes. "Our little boy."

"AHHHH!! I have to prepare food!!" Lee noticed, rushing to the kitchen. His husband followed, helping him in whatever he could.

The last time he was tasked with cooking, the house almost burnt down. He wasn't allowed near fire anymore. _Ever_. So he simply passed him the ingredients and tools as needed, keeping him company as they awaited the arrival of their three year-old son.

~

When the doorbell rang, Neji jumped slightly even though he had been anticipating it for a while now. Nonetheless, a smile decorated his face as he nervously went to open the door.

Even if they had already talked before with Metal—Lee was just too nervous that morning, inhaling deeply to focus on Not Scaring The Child with his loud voice. 

Neji just smiled at him, at them—the huge grin on his husband's face as he hugged their son was one of the brightest he ever had, happiness radiating from him.

Then he saw the toddler's eyes staring at him and, slowly, joined in the hug. 

"Welcome home, Metal," the brunet whispered, closing his eyes as he talked. "Do you want to see your room? We got you a lot of toys, if you want to play with them."

The kid shyly got closer to the black haired man, being the one that he had met before. He nodded softly, looking at the ground while remaining quiet, grabbing the man's shirt as tightly as his tiny hands allowed. He was terribly shy, and only talked with Lee—  _ maybe _ it had to do with him being who talked to him first, but Neji wasn't going to force him to speak if he didn't wish to do so.

"Are you hungry? Cold?" Lee asked then, carefully letting the kid onto the ground. Metal denied with his head and grabbed the man's hand, following him as he walked around the house, with Lee giving him a mini tour of it.

The boy didn't say anything at all, observing everything with wide eyes. Lee didn't mind, happily showing him his new toys, while sitting on the floor at his side.

Neji noticed that Metal was looking at him, specifically. He had a nervous expression on— after all, they hadn't talked much before. It was understandable that he was a bit wary with him.

The man felt a bit anxious, not really knowing what to do now. It wasn't just that he didn't know what to say— he had a feeling that Metal would just remain silent. Playing with his toys, without saying anything at all.

He  _ knew _ it was thanks to his shyness, but he still… Neji felt a little extra at that moment, with his husband hanging out with their kid. And the boy not even saying a word, just clinging to Lee and the plushies.

"I'll go buy some things. I forgot we ran out of milk," the brunet informed, sitting on the carpet for a moment. "I'll be back in some minutes."

"Okay, love," Lee exclaimed, his huge grin never leaving his face. He leaned in to kiss him softly, still vibrating thanks to his happiness.

Neji knew Metal only talked with Lee, and only when nobody was around— how did his husband manage that was a mystery that he was beginning to decipher, but he didn't want to force the kid to be quiet all day long.

So he smiled at them, gently brushing their son's wavy hair with his fingers, and went for a walk; not having a route planned, just going for what he needed and maybe visiting Hinata in the meanwhile.

~

The room was completely quiet, in a way that felt...strange.

Metal played with a tortoise plush, focused on it with a tiny pout in his mouth. Lee went to find him another one, from the bed, noticing how calm he looked overall.

"...Thank you," the boy mumbled, grabbing the new toy with his tiny hands. He sat on the carpet, hugging both tortoise plushies without saying anything else.

"You're welcome," Lee replied, a gentle smile decorating his face. Metal looked away, shyly hiding behind the toys. "Is something wrong?"

"I—I'm hungry."

"Oh, we made some food before you arrived!" the taijutsu master exclaimed, getting up off the carpet and offering his hand to the toddler. "Let's microwave it."

"Okay, sir."

Lee looked at the boy, biting his lower lip with his nervousness showing once again. Metal frowned, noticing, but remained silent.

"You don't have to call me sir, Metal. Not me, or Neji," the man said, sighing softly. "You can call us, uh...by our first names… if you want, of course!"

"They—they told me I have to be polite… I—I don't want to go back", Metal admitted, looking at his feet. He yelped as Lee hugged him, being even more surprised as he heard the man sob slightly.

"You will not go back there, Metal," Lee whispered, cleaning the few tears that had fallen as he heard the child talk. "We love you!"

Metal stared at him, not feeling sure about that anymore— other kids were known for having returned, from families that said the  _ same _ to them. But he just had to look at the man in the eyes, to see real joy in them. On his huge grin.

Maybe he was going to stay after all. It was a small hope that made the boy smile again, it was better than no hope at all.

~

They had finished their meal, and Metal was starting to slowly fall asleep. He had a pout on his face again, rubbing his eyes as he got up from the chair.

"I think you should take a nap," Lee commented, looking at him. "How does that sound?"

"... No" the boy mumbled, frowning.

"No? Okay, then. What do you want to do?"

"Um, I—" Metal was interrupted by his own yawn. "I like your hair… but I don't like mine."

Lee's eyes were shining now, anticipating what the boy was going to ask just by hearing those words. He grinned and nodded, going to gather a bowl and scissors for the task.

He was right, as Metal brightened up when he realized what he was going to do. 

"Would you prefer your hair like mine?" Lee asked, wanting to be _a hundred percent_ _sure_ before cutting the boy's hair. Metal smiled at him, not saying anything else as he got closer to him.

Lee had never done it, but he would get better with practice. He tried to chat with his son as he cutted his hair but, as Metal wasn't really answering, decided to simply talk about the last mission he had. This seemed interesting to the boy, who quietly observed him and the room as Lee narrated.

"... Who are they?" Metal mumbled, his gaze falling on a frame in the cabinet.

"Let's see… Oh! Gai and Tenten!" Lee explained, looking at the picture the kid was looking at. "That was from our wedding. Gai was our mentor, and Tenten was our teammate before we all became Jounin."

"They look friendly…"

"They are! We can go visit them tomorrow, Kakashi let me take a small break for missions," the man said, smiling softly. "If you want to, of course. They wanted to come visit today, but we didn't want you to get too stressed."

"Um… okay."

After that, the only sound in the room was the one from the scissors, but the silence was not as tense as one would have expected.

Metal smiled once he saw himself in the mirror, though it faded as he realized the only way of getting rid of the hair that stuck on his skin was by a bath. Lee laughed softly, petting his head before going to wash him.

~

"I'm home," Neji said as soon as he entered, even if it wasn't necessary at all. He had a little smile on his face, which changed to an expression of horror once he saw Metal's new haircut. "No…"

"Hi, love!"

There was an awkward silence as Neji just… stared, while Lee went to receive him with a hug. Metal grinned, but decided to keep coloring his book.

"Lee! What did you do to him?!" 

"I cut his hair. He looks cute, don't you think?" the black haired man informed, helping his husband with the groceries in his hands.

"But, Lee— why the bowl cut.  _ Why, _ " Neji said, dramatically covering his face with his hands. He then went to sit at Metal's side, smiling softly at him. "Hello there. Would you like another haircut, Metal?"

"... No."

Neji looked at the boy, not expecting him to actually reply. His voice was almost inaudible, but it _ was _ him— Metal had a small pout on his face, and was now staring at the brunet.

Who didn't know what to say now, just… had his eyes widely opened.

"I—I like it..." Metal mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he talked. He squinted, leaving his pencils on the table.

"You can nap a bit, if you want," Lee said, smiling softly. The boy nodded, extending his arms in his direction. Lee carried him then, making a head movement to Neji, who followed in silence.

Metal didn't reply, holding tightly to him while his eyes started to close. He rested his head on the man's chest, not protesting once he was placed in his bed. Though his eyes opened again, a tired gaze observing the adults as they carefully tucked him in.

Both were smiling at him, and they seemed so  _ genuine _ , that Metal couldn't resist imitating them. The blankets were extremely comfortable, too— they were soft and they were his  _ own _ , and he didn't have to worry about losing them if he just slept. He could just close his eyes for once, and just dream without any worries in this new house. 

~

It was not unusual to find their living room in complete silence- maybe the chirp of the birds could be heard from time to time, when one got hurt and had to recover inside. Sometimes, they would turn up the radio, or Neji would read out loud a book to Lee, both covered with a blanket and resting on the couch. 

On bad days, the brunet couldn't get up from the bed thanks to muscle pain. His husband would stay by his side for as long as he could, gently stroking his hair and humming with a soft tone. He always wanted to be sure he was okay before going to a mission, sometimes trying to cheer him up with his silly jokes.

That always made him smile, though it could be an action so painful that he had to resist the urge to.

"Neji, there's something I have to tell you! It's a good thing, don't worry," Lee exclaimed, a grin decorating his face. He extended his arms to wrap him with them, his chin resting on Neji's shoulder. "But first... did you eat a snack outside? You left before we served food, I'm worried."

There was a short silence as Neji frowned, trying to remember... he just went to buy stuff. And say hi to his cousin, so... nope, no food.

"... I knew I was forgetting something," the brunet admitted, his hand unconsciously going to his stomach. He had almost died by an injury there, long ago, and one of the  _ many _ effects that remained was that he couldn't feel hunger anymore.

It was better than being dead, though it was annoying when he couldn't understand why he didn't have energy those days in which Lee was away in missions, and Neji just... got too invested in other things. When he forgot to put food on his mouth.

"There's still some food in the fridge, love," Lee said, letting a gentle kiss on his husband's forehead. "Do you want me to heat it up?"

"No, don't worry. I have to save the groceries, I can do it", Neji exclaimed, temporarily letting go of the taller man, who sat on the table to wait for him.

He quickly did what he needed to do, humming softly as he served some potatoes for himself. Lee smiled once he sat at his side, turning the radio on before talking to him again; the brunet enjoyed hearing his voice, so he didn't want to interrupt him.

"You know, you're similar to him. Did you know he picked his own name? Just like you did in the past."

"Does that mean... he's like me?" Neji whispered, surprise appearing in his face. He looked at his husband, waiting for an answer as he started to take bits from the food.

"Yeah. I noticed when I was bathing him," Lee explained, smiling softly. "I think that's why he wanted the haircut, too. He looked so happy when I offered it!"

"I think he admires you. It's cute," the brunet commented, playing with his spoon for a moment. He then had a mischievous grin on his face, though it disappeared when he opened hus mouth again. "My hair is still better than yours, though."

"I can't deny yours is beautiful, but mine is youthful; you can't win against that!" his husband argued, smiling with proudness and nodding. "Plus, it doesn't get in the way when I'm training! It's the best."

"Mine never did, you know. You just have to tie it in the correct way," Neji teased, leaning towards Lee with his spoon in hand. He used it to gently tap his nose, which made him sneeze as an unconscious response. "I can also use it as a scarf if I'm too cold. How is the bowl cut better now, huh?"

"Well, where do I begin! First of all-"

The man interrupted himself once he heard a door opening in the house, and light footsteps coming their way. All the bickering stopped at the same time, as they saw Metal walking tiredly towards them, his eyes half closed and with a small pout.

"Hey, hello," Neji whispered, smiling softly at him. He extended his arms towards him, but the kid just hugged his toy, ignoring the gesture. The brunet sighed, but did not insist.

"Did something happen?" Lee asked him, his face revealing his worry. Metal looked away, muttering something that wasn't understandable at all. "What's wrong, Metal?"

"Um, I—I can't sleep," the boy said in a low tone, his gaze focused on his hands as he talked. "You, um, were- um..."

He remained silent after that, holding his plushie even closer to himself. Neji left his spoon on the table, crouching at his side to be able to look at him in the eyes. Metal, though a bit nervous about that, didn't look away.

"Were we talking too loudly?" he asked the child in a whisper, trying to help him feel a bit more relaxed. It did not work, but at least he nodded in response. "I'm sorry about that, it won't be repeated. Are you still tired?"

Metal nodded, squinting his eyes as he yawned softly. Lee got up and carefully lifted him up, not receiving any protest from the boy as he did so, who just hugged his toy with tightness.

"Well, let's get you in bed!" Lee exclaimed, maybe a bit too cheerfully for the situation. Metal just got comfortable on his arms, remaining silent as he was carried. 

The three entered the room without pronouncing a word, and the child was tucked in again, his eyes observing everything with tiredness. He pouted, as if he wanted to say something but at the same time couldn't, and his gaze fell in the bookshelf near the bed. He did not need to explain what he wanted; that simple gesture was the only thing Neji needed to understand.

The brunet grabbed one of the books from there with a soft smile decorating his face, sitting at a side of Metal while clearing his throat.

"Oh, which story is that?" Lee asked, getting close to appreciate the art of the pages. The toddler decided to imitate him, his tortoise plush left under the blankets.

"It's the one of the monsters in the ground," Neji replied, tilting his head when he heard Metal gasp. "Don't worry, they're nice. It's a cute story."

There was no reply to that; the boy had his eyes half closed already, trying to stay awake just to look around... Neji giggled softly and, taking some air in, began narrating to his companions.

"Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: humans and monsters. One day, war broke out between the two races..."

He hadn't finished the last paragraph that Metal had fallen asleep, his tiny hands covering his mouth. Lee looked at him patiently, and that was the reason he continued reading the tale.


End file.
